


Second Chances

by LibbyWeasley



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - No SHIELD (Marvel), Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, First Kiss, Interns & Internships, Misunderstandings, THERE WAS ONLY ONE BED, accidental roommates, and they were ROOMMATES
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:53:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24135391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LibbyWeasley/pseuds/LibbyWeasley
Summary: After an awkward first meeting at orientation, Fitz and Jemma end up getting a second chance at friendship when they are assigned as lab partners in their chemical kinetics class. A competition for an internship brings them closer...but will it also drive them apart? College AU. No SHIELD.
Relationships: Leo Fitz/Jemma Simmons
Comments: 60
Kudos: 69





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Springmagpies](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Springmagpies/gifts).



> This fic was written for the lovely @springmagpies for her prize as the top point earner on Team Earth.
> 
> Thanks to @agentofship for helping me with this <3

“Jemma Simmons...you’ll be paired with —“ Jemma squeezed her eyes shut, as if by ignoring what was happening she could alter reality. But there was only one empty lab table and only one other student still standing awkwardly at the front of the room with her. “Leopold Fitz.”

She shot a glance towards him, trying to judge what he thought about them being paired together as lab partners, and the smile on her face froze as she took in his wince. She had hoped that they’d moved past whatever animosity he’d developed for her during their first meeting, but that was clearly not the case. 

She moved swiftly towards the lab table at the back of the room and Fitz shuffled behind her. She could feel his eyes on her — those beautiful, blue eyes — and held her textbook closer to her chest as she made her way past the other students. When they were settled in their places, their professor outlined the expectations for the lab and then set them free to complete their work.

Jemma carefully arranged her goggles and made sure her lab coat was properly secured before turning to her lab partner — only to find that he hadn’t moved a muscle. 

“Leopold —“

He visibly pulled back from her and it hurt more than she’d thought it would. Why did he hate her so much?

“Fitz. Just…just Fitz.”

“Okay...Fitz.” Jemma licked her lips and then flushed as Leo — no, Fitz’s — gaze seemed to caress her. What was wrong with her? “Why are you even here? I thought you were in the engineering program.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I am.” He gave her an odd look and she remembered she wasn’t supposed to know that about him. But she hadn’t been able to help herself. She didn’t really have any enemies so it was very disconcerting that he seemed to hate her so much. She’d made it her mission to understand why. What she had learned instead was that he was brilliant. He’d won the robotics competition his freshman _and_ sophomore years, he’d spent last summer as a research assistant for the engineering department chair and was being listed as an author in an upcoming publication...and he called his mum once a week. That last part wasn’t exactly relevant to her research on him, but it made his response to her all the more troubling. He seemed like a good guy. A handsome, smart, wonderful guy. So why didn’t he like her?

“Everything alright?” he asked. 

“What?” She forced a breath out slowly, counting to ten in her head. “Yes, of course. I just...wanted to know why you are taking this class.”

“Oh. I, uh, needed a lab course.” He rubbed at the back of his neck in a way she found endearing...and also incredibly irritating. 

“You needed a lab course?” Jemma knew her voice sounded a bit squeaky. But honestly! A lab course? “This isn’t chem 101.”

“I know. I placed into this course with the advanced placement credits I was admitted with.” He held her gaze, and even though she could hear the bustle of the other students working on the lab, she couldn’t tear her gaze from his. “What are you doing here? I thought you were a genius?”

She bristled at his words. She had so hoped he was the kind of person who valued intelligence. It was something they had in common. Something they could have bonded over. It had been more than two years since their first meeting. Two years since he had left her standing alone, practically running in his haste to get away from her. And now they were stuck together. 

“I’m a biology major. I just added a second major in chemistry so I need to get caught up.” He was quiet, and she rushed to fill the silence. “If you must know, I specifically chose this course because I’ve heard Dr. Hall invites his best student to do an internship —“

“At SHIELD Technologies. I know.”

“You know?”

“Yeah. That’s why I signed up for this section as well. That... and adjuncts are usually easier graders.”

“Well, I’m not sure why you would care about the internship,” she said, hoping she didn’t actually sound as smug as she did in her head. “It isn’t like you really care about chemistry.”

“Of course I care about chemistry,” he insisted. 

She raised her eyebrow just like she’d practiced over and over again in her dorm mirror. It was such a useful tool when staring down guys who thought they could mansplain science to her. 

“Ok. Fine.” He blew out a breath. “SHIELD Technologies has an amazing engineering department with enough resources to try all the projects I could ever think of. But --”

“They don’t take undergrads as interns,” she finished for him. Then, noticing the look of surprise on his face, she added. “I did my research too.”

They looked at each other for a moment, seemingly unable to look away, like they shared a molecular bond.

A throat cleared beside them. “Are you having a problem with the lab?”

Jemma flushed in embarrassment, ashamed at having been caught staring at Fitz -- who was admittedly more interesting than she had originally thought -- instead of doing her work.

“No. No problem sir,” they answered together.

Dr. Hall gestured at the lab table in front of them. “Then you better get to it.”

As soon as Dr. Hall walked away, Jemma hissed, “Now look what you’ve done. I’ll never get that internship with you as my lab partner.”

“What...what I’ve done? I think you mean, what you’ve done!” 

“I certainly don’t...I mean --” She cut herself off, trying to calm the thoughts swirling in her mind. She had noticed he was attractive when she’d first met him, of course, but she hadn’t noticed quite how blue his eyes were...or how the slight stubble on his face made her want to rub her cheek against his. “Let’s just focus on the lab. We have to get the highest score in the class if I’m going to get that internship.”

“You’re right. We’ll have to work together so _I_ can get that internship. Just tell me what you want me to do.”

Her eyes widened in surprise, but she swallowed down her objections. This was what she wanted. Everything would be just fine.

* * *

Jemma tidied up the apartment, fluffing the pillows on the couch and rearranging the little bowl of flowers as she hummed. There were just three more weeks of the spring semester and Dr. Hall was sure to select a student for the internship any day now.

“What’s got you so happy? It’s way too early in the day for humming.” Daisy tied her robe as she reached for the coffee maker on the kitchen counter.

“Daisy! It’s 11 in the morning.”

“On _Saturday_. Some of us had a late night last night.” Daisy smiled and tilted her head towards the closed door to her bedroom.

Jemma lowered her voice. “Is your late night still here?”

“Yup.” Daisy smiled. “But I don’t think he’ll be waking up anytime soon.”

Daisy waggled her eyebrows and Jemma rolled her eyes back at her friend. Daisy was the best friend -- and roommate -- she could imagine, but they had very different priorities for their college education.

“So...did _you_ have a late night last night?” Daisy asked.

“What?” Jemma pushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “You know I was just studying with Fitz last night for our chemical kinetics exam.”

“Hey, whatever you kids call it is fine --”

“We really were just studying.”

Daisy gave her a look that was a little bit too knowing and Jemma filled the teapot to give herself something to do with her hands instead of twisting them nervously in front of her.

“He isn’t...we aren’t…” She wasn’t sure what to say. It wasn’t that she hadn’t thought about it. He was handsome and smart...and funny. And his neck flushed a little bit when he argued with her about science. And when they worked together seamlessly and finished each other’s sentences, butterflies chased excitedly around her stomach. “I mean…”

“Look, I know things didn’t go well when you first met --”

“A complete disaster, you mean.” Daisy gave her a look meant to silence her, but Jemma kept talking, her confused thoughts translating into confused words. “He ran away from me. I introduced myself, he gaped at me like I had two heads, and then avoided me every single time our paths crossed for _two years_.”

“Hmmm.” Daisy poured a cup of coffee and took a sip.

“What do you mean, hmmm?”

“I mean, hmmm. He isn’t running from you now, is he?”

“Well, no. But we’re lab partners. It isn’t like he can just ignore me. As soon as we finish this class he’ll probably go back to pretending I don’t exist.” She paused for a second. “And he most certainly will after I spend the summer in New York interning at SHIELD Technologies while he’s stuck here tutoring physics 101 students.”

“Oh, not that again.” Daisy put down her coffee mug and reached for Jemma’s hand. “There are more important things than grades and internships.”

“Of course there are. I know that. I just -- this is a wonderful opportunity.” She pasted on a cheery smile. Competing with Fitz for the internship position had started off as a benefit to him taking the class, but the more time she spent with him, the harder it was becoming to think of it that way. She enjoyed his company. She wanted to spend more time with him. And right when they’d have a chance to maybe try something more -- she certainly wasn’t going to jeopardize her grade by getting involved with her lab partner -- she’d be leaving for a new opportunity and he… Well, honestly, she didn’t know what he’d be doing. She assumed he’d stay on campus. He’d said he didn’t really have the money to travel home and she hadn’t wanted to pry further.

“You mean, a wonderful opportunity to prove your parents wrong.”

“Well, yes, that. But you met them when they came to visit. They still think it was a mistake for me to be so far from home, and to focus on the sciences. My whole life they’ve talked about me becoming a teacher like them. But I just can’t.”

“Of course you can’t, Jemma. You deserve this internship.” 

Daisy’s door opened and they both turned towards the sound.

“Hey girl.” Only Trip’s head was visible as he peeked around the door. Jemma gave him a smile and a wave. “Do you know what happened to my pants?”

“Hold on. I’ll be right there.” She leaned in closer to Jemma and whispered. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t have some fun with Fitz too.”

As Daisy walked back to her bedroom, Jemma couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like if she had invited Fitz back to her apartment after they’d studied last night. Or any night, since they studied together nearly every night, talking about chemistry, physics, biology, and anything else that came to mind.

Maybe next time. She thought of his smile and how her heart beat just a little bit faster when he was near. 

Definitely next time.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dr. Hall finally chooses his summer intern, but things don't go exactly as they expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to @agentofship for being so awesome all the time

This was the day. He was going to do it. For real this time. Spending day after day beside her -- in the lab, meeting up for lunch, or just sitting next to her while he studied -- just convinced him he’d been right from the very beginning. 

But he needed something big. Something to show her he really meant it. When they’d first met during orientation he’d frozen. Like a complete idiot. His mouth had refused to make words and his feet had taken him away from her as quickly as possible. This had been his chance to start over. To have a reason to talk to her. To have science. He didn’t want to talk about the weather or the school’s football team -- it was American football after all, not even a proper sport -- but science was a topic he was comfortable with. And he knew she was too. Being assigned as her lab partner was just luck. It had changed his plans from building a friendship with her to wondering if they could build something more.

Palms sweaty, he slipped into his seat right as class started. He’d hoped to be there early so he’d have a chance to talk to her before they started their lab...but he’d gotten held up after leaving his last class and now he’d have to wait.

“...and today’s lab will be your practical examination. I’ll give you a few minutes to prepare and then put your notes and books away.” Dr. Hall gave a cursory glance around the room. “Fitz. Simmons. I’d like to speak with you for a moment out in the hallway.”

Fitz exchanged a glance with Jemma as they stood and he followed her into the hallway. After Dr. Hall closed the door behind him, he turned to them with a smile. “Normally I only select one student for an internship, but given your, um, performance in this class, I’d like to invite both of you to spend the summer working in my lab at SHIELD Technologies.”

Fitz was speechless. He’d never imagined...well, he had, but that was before he’d actually spent time with Jemma. She loved homework more than life itself and her color-coded notes put his study strategies to shame. There was no way he’d scored as well as she had on the written exams.

“But...but--” he sputtered, words failing him once again at a life-changing moment.

“Thank you, Dr. Hall! We are thrilled, of course.” Jemma’s voice, bubbly and excited, spurred him into action again.

“Yeah. Thanks.”

“I’ll email you the details after class. You arrange your travel to New York and I’ll handle the rest. There are some non-disclosure agreements you’ll need to sign and some other formalities, but I’m very excited to see what you’ll be able to accomplish this summer. I’ve never seen two students quite like you.”

With a slight nod, Dr. Hall turned to go back into the classroom and Jemma didn’t even bother waiting until he was gone to launch herself at Fitz. Her arms wrapped around his neck and he let his hands fall to her hips to steady her. He knew it was just adrenaline racing through her, and not him specifically, but he had never been so close to her. Never felt her warmth or had her scent overwhelm his senses. After a moment he forced himself to let her go and was caught by the bright look in her eyes.

“New York, Fitz! A professional lab and real projects!” She let out a little laugh that went right to his heart. “This is our chance to change the world.”

“I’m not sure what we’ll be able to finish over the summer,” he hedged.

“Fine. This is when we’ll start to change the world. I thought…” She looked over his shoulder for a second, looking guilty, and he had an idea of what she had thought. “But this is so much better. We’ll be together.”

“Yeah. Together. There’s no one else I’d rather be with.”

The words sat between them for a few beats before she finally released him, and he felt a bit bereft. Being close to her felt so natural. So right. But as Jemma started rattling off what she’d researched about flights, the weather in New York over the summer, and what kind of projects they’d probably be working on, he realized that this was not the time to ask her out. There went his plans for a nice dinner together. But she was far too distracted now. She might not even notice that he’d ask her out. Or, more likely, she would notice, but she’d politely ignore him so he didn’t feel embarrassed that he’d somehow fallen in love with her when she didn’t feel the same way. 

But even worse was that, for the duration of the summer at least, they would be labmates -- co-workers -- and that was sacred.

He breathed a sigh of relief as he settled at the lab table and reached for his safety goggles. 

Thanks to Dr. Hall, Fitz now had until the end of the summer to find a way to confess his feelings to Jemma.

* * *

The next three weeks passed quickly. More quickly than he had thought possible. But finishing their classes and getting everything ready for summer hadn’t left much time for anything else. But now that they were at the airport uncertainty gripped him.

What had he been thinking? A summer in the lab with Jemma? It was a dream come true. She was brilliant. And amazing. And he’d have a chance to meet all the right people in the engineering department that he could hopefully leverage into a job after he graduated. But it also meant the summer in the lab with Jemma. A whole summer for him to say or do something that would make her hate him again. And after getting to know her, he wasn’t sure if that was something he could survive.

Some of his troubled thoughts must have shown on his face because Jemma gave his arm a squeeze.

“Alright, Fitz? Are you afraid of flying?”

“What? Oh...no. Not afraid of flying. I’m just...thinking.”

“What are you thinking about?”

Jemma put down her book and turned to him as if whatever he was about to say next was the most interesting thing she’d ever heard. She always made him feel like that -- like he was important. He hoped he was important to her.

“I was just thinking about the lab...what we’ll be working on.”

“Oh, I know! I can’t even imagine how much more exciting it will be to have real projects to work on instead of lab assignments. We’ll be able to work on science and applications.”

“Yeah. And all the resources! No more begging Dr. Hall for supplies.” He smiled as she gave a little laugh. “Well, I guess we still might have to ask Dr. Hall for supplies.”

“Speaking of Dr. Hall, did you ever get that non-disclosure he mentioned?”

“No...but you know how he is. The details never seem to be that important.”

“Yes, of course.” Jemma looked away for a moment. “It’s just that...well, I used all of my savings to make all the arrangements for this trip.”

Jemma seemed anxious and he wanted to offer her a hug...did friends do that? Probably. He leaned closer in case she wanted some comfort and he gasped as the back of her hand made contact with his shoulder.

“Oh! Are you alright?”

“Yeah. Yeah I’m fine. But, why do you look so worried?”

“I...well, I did something bad --”

“Jemma! What did you do?” His eyes widened in surprise. Jemma always followed all of the rules. He couldn’t believe she had actually done something wrong.

She closed her eyes. “I spent all my savings updating my wardrobe.”

Fitz relaxed, and reached for her hand. Her eyes opened and she stared back at him. “It’s alright. I’m sure you needed some new things. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“This is my first opportunity to be taken seriously as a scientist. I don’t want people dismissing me because I look young.”

“I take you seriously,” he said quietly.

“I know. And I love you for it.” He could feel the heat rising in his cheeks at her words. “You are the best… friend I could have.”

Friends. Right. They were friends. 

“I’m just ready for a new start,” she continued. “I really want to make a difference, you know.”

Maybe he should say something. Now, before they got to New York and she met all the scientists who would take her seriously.

“Jemma --”

“Flight 792 to New York is now boarding,” the tinny voice announced over the loudspeaker.

“That’s us.” Jemma stood, gripping her carry-on in one hand and her boarding pass in the other. “This is it, Fitz. This is the beginning of our future.”

And with that she set off towards the gate. He sighed and grabbed his bag to follow after her. He’d follow her anywhere. And he’d find a time soon enough to tell her how he felt.

* * *

The flight passed quickly and they spent their time discussing dielectric polarization, sipping Coke from clear plastic cups and eating pretzels. Fitz didn’t even mind being squished into the middle seat with Jemma beside him. And honestly, her excitement was a little contagious. He couldn’t help but wonder if this wasn’t the start of the rest of _his_ life as well. New people. New opportunities. Jemma by his side.

That sense of optimism lasted until they arrived at the stand for ground transportation. There was a man in a suit holding a sign that said ‘Fitzsimmons’ in bold, block letters.

They exchanged a glance and walked towards him.

“Fitzsimmons?” he asked, looking back and forth between them as if looking for some clue.

“He’s Fitz,” Jemma said, gesturing towards him.

“She’s Simmons,” he finished.

“Oh dear.” The man’s face lips turned up into a small smile. “It looks like there’s been a bit of a mix-up. I may have thought you were one person. Dr. Hall is a great scientist, but he’s not always on top of all the details.”

The man let the sign drop in his left hand and reached out with his right. “I’m Coulson. Phil Coulson. I’m the communications director at SHIELD Technologies, in charge of communications, branding, human resources...and interns.”

“Well,” Fitz said through gritted teeth, “as you can see, there are two of us.”

After all of Jemma’s talk of the future and new beginnings he had actually started to believe it himself. He should have known it wouldn’t be that simple.

“Indeed.” Coulson’s expression was inscrutable, but there was something in his eyes that made Fitz feel like he could trust him. “Well, I can just grab a second set of paperwork once we get to the office and then we’ll get you settled in your workspace...as long as you want to share a lab?”

“Yes!” Jemma had stepped closer to Fitz, and he tried to lend her some strength, not that he really had any to spare. They were hundreds of miles away from campus, thousands of miles from home, and they had no backup plan. At least he didn’t. Maybe Jemma did. He should have asked. “Yes, we work together.”

“Perfect then. Once you’re settled, I’ll see if we can make arrangements for housing.” With that he started walking towards the car that would take them to SHIELD Technologies.

“Housing?” Jemma asked.

“Yes,” Coulson answered. “I was able to secure corporate housing for Fitzsimmons, but I don’t have seperate apartments for Fitz and Simmons.

“I see,” Jemma said, not giving any of her thoughts away. 

He might not have any idea what she was thinking, but he was suddenly having thoughts he shouldn’t be having about his lab partner and how he’d love for the last person he saw at night and the first person he saw in the morning to be her.

Bloody hell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! You can find me on tumblr @LibbyWeasley


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their first day at SHIELD Technologies is a dream come true...but it also brings some unexpected challenges.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to the amazing @agentofship for all of her help!

She was in love!

From the very first look at the lab she would be working in with Fitz, Jemma knew she never wanted to go back. She would, of course, go back to finish her final year of college, but in every other way this was it for her. This was what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. 

Fitz was busy examining the equipment arranged around the room and Jemma let herself examine him — just for a moment. 

He looked like a little boy on Christmas morning. “Jemma! It’s a holotable. I’ve read about these, but I didn’t think I’d actually see one.”

“Oh! So you think we could use it to model —“

“The idea you had for the non-lethal weapon? Yeah, I do.”

Jemma did her best not to actually jump up and down in excitement, but it was a near thing.

“This lab is amazing.” She let her fingertips skim over the metal surfaces and just let it all soak in. They needed to get to work, but just for a moment she could enjoy how far they’d come.

“Oh, there you are! I was wondering when you’d finally arrive.” Dr. Hall poked his head into the lab, looking a bit harried.

“Our plane just landed an hour ago,” Jemma said. “I sent you our itinerary.”

“Right. Of course you did. But the important thing now is to get started.”

“What will we be working on, sir?” Fitz said the words before Jemma had a chance to respond.

“Will we be working with rare metals? Oh! Or a project that combines my biochem expertise along with Fitz’s engineering skills?” The possibilities were practically endless.

“What will you be working on?” Dr. Hall swiveled his head back and forth between them. “Well, whatever you want. Just submit your reports at the end of each week and Coulson will help you with anything else you need.”

With that he was gone.

“Well...that was not --”

“Expected. I know.” Fitz finished for her, turning to her with a gleam in his eye. “But all of this equipment and no rules…”

“There are always rules,” she insisted, rolling her eyes. But she knew what he meant. She chewed on her bottom lip, buying herself some time. When she turned back to Fitz she found that he was giving her a pleading look. “Oh, fine. But if this wasn’t the kind of project they had in mind for Dr. Hall’s summer interns, you take responsibility for it.”

“Promise. Wouldn’t want you to have to do anything...naughty.”

He was just teasing. Talking about her moral compass and ethical decision-making. But there was something about how that word rolled off his tongue that made her want to make some bad choices. Just to see if it would be as satisfying as she thought it would.

“Uh...Jemma?”

“Hmmm?” Jemma’s eyes widened as she realized she’d been staring at him. Hopefully she wasn’t drooling. Blinking her eyes to clear her head, she said, “Yes, ah...thank you.”

His cheeks had pinkened a bit and she wondered for a second what _he_ had to feel uncomfortable about. Unless she was just being embarrassing enough for the both of them.

“Alright, I can, uh, start sketching a design, and --”

“And I can find Coulson. I’m going to need some chemicals to work with...and we also need to figure out our housing arrangements.”

She wasn’t quite sure what the optimal solution would be. Maybe being near him this summer would show him that she could be more than just his lab partner. That wouldn’t be terrible. But it wasn’t like she could just suggest they become roommates. Plus, they’d have 12 weeks together in the lab with no other projects or classes. That would almost certainly be enough time together. And if their working relationship started to crack, they might need some space after all. 

“Yeah, hopefully he’s had time to figure something out.” Fitz rubbed a hand on the back of his neck, a gesture that she’d started to associate with his nervousness. “So, I’ll just…”

He turned away from her and pulled out his laptop. It felt like there was something awkward sitting between them, a distance that was unfamiliar.

“Of course. I’ll be back shortly.”

The walk from the labs back to the administrative offices gave her the space to think. Nothing had happened. She had only been thinking about something she knew she shouldn’t and had projected her uncertainties onto Fitz. That was all. There was no way he had known what she’d been thinking.

“Miss Simmons.” Coulson stepped out of the shadows and she jumped a bit as her musings were interrupted. “I was just coming to find you.”

“Mr. Coulson.”

“So, I have some good news and some bad news. But we’ll need Mr. Fitz as well.”

As Coulson walked back to the lab with her, Jemma proposed a list of supplies they’d need to do their research.

“Anything you need. I’ll get you the requisition form and a project number. That will allow the request to be processed.”

“We really do need -- Oh. Yes, of course. I wasn’t expecting you to say yes.”

“It’s alright. It can take a bit of getting used to.”

“Yes, well, last week I was in a chem lab sharing equipment with 20 other students and today you are telling me I can get anything I need. It’s just a dream come true.”

“Dr. Hall spoke highly of you. SHIELD Technologies is here to support you. For the next 12 weeks anyway.”

“Thank you, Mr. Coulson. I won’t let you down.”

“I know you won’t.” 

He opened the door leading to the labs with his ID badge and gestured for her to enter first.

“I’m back, Fitz. And I brought Mr. Coulson.”

“Oh.” Fitz dropped the pencil in his hand and quickly bent down to pick it up. “I was just, ah —“

Jemma was about to cut off his rambling — poor dear would almost certainly be embarrassed later — but Coulson beat her to it. 

“Mr. Fitz?”

“Yeah?” 

“As I was telling Miss Simmons, I have good news.” His smile was bright as he pulled something from his inside jacket pocket. “Your ID badges are ready.”

He handed one to each of them and Jemma was pleased to see that her official photo looked quite smart. She had been right to spend the extra time to curl her hair even though it had meant getting up an extra hour early. 

“These will get you into the building, the research wing, and your labspace, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week until the end of the summer.”

“Thank you, sir,” they said together. 

“And now, for the bad news. I’m afraid that with all the interns and visiting researchers, there aren’t any other accommodations available right now. Maybe in a few weeks —“

“That’s alright. Maybe one of us can just stay at a hotel?” Jemma suggested. 

“That was my thought as well, but I did some calling around and with the big conference happening this week there are no rooms available anywhere near the per diem rate. So unless one of you wants to spring for a honeymoon suite, I’m afraid the only other option is to stay outside the city.”

“Oh.” Jemma’s heart sank a little bit. A glance at Fitz showed that he looked equally uncomfortable, though she wasn’t sure which part of Coulson’s statement had put that look on his face. “I don’t have any extra money.”

She waited for Fitz to answer. “Oh...I, uh, I only have enough saved for food.” 

“Or,” Coulson continued. “I have a guest room. I’d be happy to have one if you stay at my place —“

“That’s alright.” Fitz’s voice surprised Jemma, but she was happy he’d spoken up. She wasn’t sure any of the thoughts swirling in her head at the moment were things she wanted to share. “We can make due with the accommodations you have. I can just kip out on the couch or something. Right, Simmons?”

“Yes. Yes, of course. That would be fine. Until something else opens up at least.” She shared a look with Fitz and smiled, grateful for his suggestion. Coulson seemed like a nice man, but he was still a stranger. “We will be able to get more done if we have time to talk about our ideas outside the lab anyway.”

They both turned to Coulson and Jemma nodded, happy to have things settled. Coulson gave them a look she didn’t quite understand before agreeing to their plan. He pulled an envelope out of his pocket that held a set of keys and the address of the furnished apartment they’d be sharing for the foreseeable future. 

“It’s basic. But it should be comfortable enough. Just let me know if there is anything SHIELD Technologies can provide. And the offer of my spare room stands if you change your minds.”

“We won’t,” Jemma said quickly. “But thank you.” 

Once Coulson had disappeared back to his office, Jemma turned to Fitz, surprised to find him already looking at her. His face flushed and he rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. 

“I, ah...just wanted to say I’m sorry.”

Jemma tilted her head and wrinkled her brow in confusion. “Whatever for? About sharing the apartment? That’s fine actually, I —“

“No, not that.” He waved a hand. “Though if you don’t want to —“

“I do.”

“Ok. Good. Yeah.” He cleared his throat. “I wanted to apologize for earlier. If I said something to make you uncomfortable.”

Oh. He’d made her uncomfortable, but definitely not in the way he thought. 

“That’s quite alright. This is just a new part of working together that we’re going to have to learn to navigate.” And by “we” she meant her. But he didn’t have to know that. She just needed to keep herself under control. “Let’s just agree that if one of us has a concern we talk about things and be honest with each other. Honesty is the best policy after all.”

Fitz laughed, as she’d hoped he would, but quickly agreed. And as he showed her the work he’d done while she had been away, it felt like their equilibrium had been restored. That was a comforting thought. They’d made their way through the first challenge of working together and had a plan for the rest of their summer. Nothing could stop them now.

* * *

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Jemma requested supplies and organized her workstation just the way she liked it. Fitz pressed every button on the holotable until he got it working, and by the end of the day he was pulling up designs and manipulating them with a flick of his hand, like he’d been doing it his whole life. 

It had been an exhausting day, but really quite thrilling. She was more than ready to grab some dinner and get settled in the apartment SHIELD Technologies had provided. 

And she was also a little nervous. 

The apartment was only a few blocks from the office, but by the time she slid the key into the lock she was ready to collapse onto the nearest available surface. Her feet ached and the Chinese takeout Fitz had cradled in his arms smelled divine. 

“I’m starving,” she grumbled. 

“I think that’s my line,” Fitz said as his stomach rumbled. “But if you get that door open, we can both have some dinner.”

The door swung open at Jemma’s touch and she fumbled for the light switch. The space wasn’t overly large, but it was tasteful and looked comfortable enough. There was a small seating area with two overstuffed chairs near a television and a large desk faced the window overlooking the city. A kitchen with an island and two barstools completed the space. 

Jemma pulled her suitcase over the threshold and noted the two doors down the short hallway. One must be the bedroom and the other the bathroom. Her stomach sank before her mind finished processing what was in front of her. 

“Jemma...there isn’t a couch.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fitz and Jemma settle into their internship...and to only having one bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to @agentofship for everything! There is one more chapter after this one and I'll get it posted soon.

The apartment was nice. Nicer than anyplace he’d lived before, but it wasn’t exactly spacious for the two of them. Jemma was his friend, and he thought he knew her pretty well, but not well enough to move in together. Not that they were moving in together, but still. 

After he realized his plan of sleeping on the couch wasn’t going to pan out, he dropped the food on the kitchen island and silently followed Jemma as she examined the rest of the apartment. 

The first door was for the bathroom. It was decorated in boring grays and tans, but it looked serviceable. He held his breath as Jemma flipped on the light switch in the bedroom. There wasn’t a couch or an extra bed, just a large bed in the middle of the room with a pile of comfortable looking pillows and a dresser and mirror against one wall. 

“That must be a queen at least.”

“What? I mean, yeah.” He cleared his throat. “Looks like it.”

His eyes darted around the room. When this day had started he’d never expected to end up in a bedroom with Jemma. Uncomfortable didn’t even begin to explain how he was feeling. He felt hot...and nervous...and he didn’t even know why. 

“So,” he began, thankful that he sounded calmer than he felt. “I can, uh, just sleep on the floor.”

“Don’t be silly, Fitz. There is plenty of room in the bed. You’ll hurt your back trying to sleep on the floor...and then you’ll be really grumpy in the lab. You’ll be doing me a favor if you agree to share.”

He was glad to hear the laughter in her voice. Sleeping on the floor would be bloody awful, but he’d do it if she wanted him to. 

“Are you sure? Because I don’t want you to feel —“

“Of course. It’s fine. We’re friends. Friends can do that.” She bit her lip as she thought. “It’s only for a little bit. And it’s not like…”

She let her words trail off and he wasn’t sure if he should be upset or relieved that she thought there wasn’t any other reason for them not to share a bed. She apparently wasn’t thinking that she’d suddenly have a hard time keeping her hands off of him. Which he already knew. 

On the other hand, being so close to her might make it harder to hide his own feelings. Or maybe it wouldn’t. Maybe he’d find out something about her that would change his mind. Maybe she talked in her sleep. Or slept under a pile of blankets. 

“Alright. But I’ve never done this before.”

“Done what?” 

“Slept in the same bed as someone else.”

She didn’t answer right away and he thought she might let his words go right by her. “Me either. But I’m sure we can figure it out. Why don’t we eat dinner and then get our things unpacked?”

* * *

After dinner they unpacked their suitcases and took turns in the bathroom.

Jemma yawned as she walked back out into the kitchen for a glass of water. Fitz was flipping through the channels on the telly, too keyed up about sleeping with Jemma to focus on anything. Wait...not sleep with Jemma. Well, yes. Sleep. Just sleep. 

He couldn’t even get his brain to settle down and stop overthinking things. 

“Tomorrow we’ll have to stop at the store on the way home and pick up some groceries.”

Fitz grunted a response. 

“I’m really knackered. I’m going to head to bed. We have an early morning tomorrow.”

She shifted back and forth a few times and Fitz took his cue to answer. 

“Um, yeah. Me too. I guess we should —“

He clicked off the remote and padded down the short hall. He’d just changed into a ratty t-shirt and old sweatpants, but Jemma was wearing proper pajamas with blue and purple stripes. It made him feel underdressed somehow.

“So, which side of the bed do you prefer?”

The question stumped him. He usually just slept in the middle of his single bed. It didn’t really have sides. 

He shrugged. “I don’t know. Either is fine.”

“If you don’t mind, I’ll take the side by the alarm clock.”

He smiled and walked to the other side of the bed. “Of course you will.”

“What does that mean?” she asked, pretending to be grumpy. He could tell she was only pretending by the way her lips almost tugged up into a smile. 

“Oh, nothing. Just that you have to be the first one up in the morning. I’m not surprised you want to be in charge of the alarm clock.”

“Oh, hush.”

While he’d teased her, they’d both moved around the bed, and somehow he now found himself laying stiffly in the bed beside her. They weren’t touching, but he was aware of her presence. He could hear her soft breathing and he imagined he could feel heat radiating from her. 

He closed his eyes. 

“I’ll just switch off the light, yeah?”

“Yeah. That’s...goodnight Jemma.”

The light clicked off and she shifted around on her side of the bed. 

“Goodnight Fitz. I’m really glad you’re here with me. Originally I thought we were competing against each other. But then I realized that we work better when we’re together. And...and I can’t imagine doing this with anyone else.”

For a second he wondered if he should just pretend to be asleep. Her words had done something to his insides that made him feel warm. But no, that was ridiculous. 

“I don’t want to be here with anyone but you. I, ah, actually took the chemical kinetics class so I could get a second chance at talking to you.”

“A second chance?”

“Well, yeah...I always thought we’d get on, but I couldn’t think of anything to say and I knew I messed up the first time we met —“

“You didn’t mess up, Fitz.” She reached a hand towards his and he forced himself to relax as her fingertips brushed over the back of his hand before her hand rested lightly on his. “Maybe we just weren’t ready to be friends. Whatever brought us together, I’m really glad it did.”

“Me too,” he said back into the darkness. It felt like there was more that needed to be said. So many words that wanted to escape. He wanted to tell her his feelings. His hopes. His dreams. But nothing felt quite right, so he kept silent. 

Eventually her breathing slowed and her hand moved from his as she shifted uneasily in her sleep. 

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Fitz woke up in an unfamiliar room and he blinked his eyes a few times before he remembered where he was. He was in New York. In an apartment. With Jemma. 

But Jemma wasn’t there. Fitz was sleeping in the middle of the bed and when he reached out his hand he could feel the warmth where she must have been sleeping. Had he scared her away? He’d obviously been very comfortable next to her. Maybe too comfortable? He’d rolled over at some point in the night. Hopefully he hadn’t made her uncomfortable. He would sleep on the floor tonight and give her some space if she wanted.

“Fitz? Are you awake?”

“Hmm?” He yawned. “Yeah. I’m awake.”

Jemma was already awake and dressed.

“It’s almost 8. I thought I’d wake you up so you had some time to get ready?”

“Oh. Thanks. I’ll just...get ready.”

“Don’t take too long. I’m making tea and then we should get going. We don’t want to be late.”

As soon as Jemma closed the door behind her, Fitz let himself relax back onto the bed. He breathed in deeply and could smell Jemma’s shampoo. Something flowery and familiar. It was a strange feeling -- knowing so much about her that he felt like he’d known her forever, yet at the same time their friendship was only a semester old. It was still new and tenuous...and he couldn’t imagine his life without her.

He heard the whistle of the kettle coming from the kitchen and made himself get out of bed. Their first full day in the lab was going to be something incredible.

* * *

Each day after that followed a pattern. He woke up alone in bed, still able to feel the warmth of her body and see the indentation of her head on the pillow, they had breakfast and spent their day in the lab, and after work they would grab dinner together and go back to the apartment to talk or watch movies. It was comfortable. Effortless. And very enjoyable.

At the end of the day they’d slide under the sheets together, each of them carefully keeping to their own side of the bed. She never said anything about the fact that he apparently rolled to her side of the bed each night, and he wasn’t about to bring it up if she didn’t.

Their work in the lab was everything he had imagined it would be. There was a natural give and take. They both had an understanding of the basics, but with his expertise on the engineering side and her knowledge of biology, the ideas just flowed between them. 

But not today. 

They had been working together for almost six weeks -- half of the summer was already gone -- and they hadn’t actually made much progress on their project. Oh, they had plenty to report on their weekly status updates for Dr. Hall, and the staff meetings. He had run simulations and Jemma had experimented with different combinations of chemicals to get the reaction they needed. But it just wasn’t coming together.

As soon as Fitz showed Jemma the plans he’d sketched out she’d started to voice her objections.

“But Fitz, how on earth do you think I’ll be able to create something at that scale?”

“What?” He’d been very proud of the work he’d been able to do so quickly. “You should at least acknowledge that I’ve finally gotten the firing mechanism to fit into the design.”

“Yes, of course,” Jemma said quickly. “That’s brilliant. But you should have talked to me before you finished the design. It is far more concerning that you’ll left such a small volume for the --”

“Oh, really? Aren’t you supposed to be a genius? I thought that you could --”

“Ugh, Fitz!”

They were glaring at each other from opposite sides of the lab and Fitz wasn’t sure where they were supposed to go next. They’d never really had an argument before.

“Jemma --”

The alarm on Jemma’s phone started beeping. She looked down to silence it. “Staff meeting,” she said woodenly.

Without another word, she took off her safety goggles, tucked them neatly into her desk drawer, and left the lab.

Fitz stared after her, wondering if he’d just lost the best thing in his life -- or if he’d never had it at all.

The meeting had already started when he slipped into the back row, earning him a look from Dr. Hall. He spotted the back of Jemma’s head three rows ahead of him, but she was resolutely staring at the front of the room.

But as the project updates began, his attention was captured by the words of the scientists who were speaking. Dr. Hall was working on a project using Gravitonium and his update was fascinating as always. He had found a way to compress it so that it created a sort of portable gravity field.

Then there was the update from the chemistry team, and then the engineering team presented their project on a portable laser cutting device that they were having some design issues on. Fitz started doodling as they talked, thinking of a way he could apologize to Jemma. He really should have talked to her before finishing the design. He’d just been excited that he’d been able to solve the technical problem using the holotable.

“...and last but not least, our summer interns.”

Fitz started to stand, but before he could even make it to the front of the room, Jemma had already delivered a succinct summary of their work.

“Thank you, Miss Simmons. Mr. Fitz.” Dr. Hall nodded at him, and he sat back down, feeling very unnecessary all of the sudden.

Through the rest of the meeting he let his mind wander and his hands continued doodling and sketching. It wasn’t until one of the guys he recognized as being from the engineering department leaned over to talk to him that he realized he’d actually sketched something useful.

“Is that a lense to focus a laser?” the man, Robert he thought, asked.

“Uh, yeah. I guess. I mean, yes.”

People had started milling about the room, catching up with colleagues, while others filed out of the room to get back to work. Out of the corner of his eye Fitz saw Jemma look his way and hesitate, but he turned back to Robert.

“I’m Robbie...from engineering.” He held out his hand.

“Fitz. Summer intern.” They shook hands. “But I’m an engineering major.”

“I can tell. If this is what you doodle during the world’s most boring meeting, I’d say you’re a natural. May I?”

Robbie gestured towards the notebook in front of Fitz and he handed it over, waiting as Robbie inspected it.

“I think this might be just the inspiration we need to finish the Mouse Hole project.”

“Mouse Hole?”

“Yeah...because it’s supposed to be able to cut through any material.” 

“Cool. Cool, cool, cool.”

“If you don’t mind, I’ll run this past the team leader, Mack, and then we’ll shoot you a meeting invite. I know I’d love to hear more about your idea.”

“That’s...that’s great. Thanks.”

As soon as Robbie turned to go, a smile broke out over Fitz’s face. At least something was going right today.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fitz and Jemma have to figure out how to define their relationship...if they want to get to their happily ever after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the love to @agentofship for all of her help with this!

Jemma paced back and forth, thinking about the next experiment she wanted to run. The fact that Fitz hadn’t returned from the meeting didn’t upset her in the least. And she wasn’t at all bothered by the fact that it looked like he was in deep discussion with one of the engineers. 

But...she did remember that his whole goal in getting this internship had been to get an in with the engineering department. That thought lodged in the back of her brain. No matter how well they worked together, it was inevitable that he would leave her. He was brilliant. The way his mind worked was incredible and it was naive to think that she would be the only one to notice that.

She just hadn’t expected it to happen so soon. 

Prepping her lab station, she forced herself not to turn at the sound of the door opening. She wasn’t about to let him know that she’d been missing him. He could come to her. They had promised to be honest with one another, but she’d seen him talking to that engineer. Maybe he hadn’t been as happy working with her as it had seemed. She would wait until he was ready to tell her the truth. The whole truth.

But he didn’t. There was the telltale sound of his tablet and the tapping of his pen as he thought. He had more nervous habits than she could keep track of. She pretended to be interested in her work until she actually was and the rest of the afternoon passed quickly. 

Her last experiment of the day actually showed some promise and she turned excitedly to tell Fitz...only to see that he wasn’t there. It bothered her more than she cared to admit. Not that he was gone — he obviously hadn’t gone far since his things were still scattered around his workstation, but that she hadn’t even noticed when he’d left. She really needed to apologize. Even after just a few hours it was clear that while science had brought them together, their friendship was something even more solid than that. She valued his thoughts and ideas, the way he made her laugh, and even the way he could be grumpy when he was tired or hungry. 

And after she apologized for their argument earlier, she really needed to tell him the truth. That just being near him made her happy. And that waking up in his arms every morning felt like home. She was afraid she’d fallen in love with him at some point. Like once they’d actually had their first conversation they’d followed the simple path that had led them from friendship directly to something more. At least it had for her. And she was fairly certain that it had for him as well. He didn’t _seem_ like the type to cuddle with just anyone. 

Deciding this was too important to wait, she went to look for him. If he wasn’t in their shared lab, the only other reasonable place for him to be was in the kitchen making a fresh cup of tea. 

When he wasn’t there she didn’t quite know what to think. And she returned to her work with a fresh sense of purpose. She didn’t have any claim on him or his time. But she would do the best job she could. 

When he finally came back to the lab she had run several more tests that all brought her closer to her goal. Maybe she could work within the specs he’d given her after all. 

“It’s awfully late. Where have you been?” She hoped her tone came across as mildly interested rather than possessive. 

“Sorry, Jemma.” The sound of her name in his voice always soothed her a little, and this time was no exception. “I was invited to join the engineering team’s project — they are calling it the Mouse Hole — and I was just working out the details with Dr. Hall.”

His words came out in an excited tumble and she froze, carefully collecting her emotions to tuck them away in her music box. 

“That’s…” She swallowed. “That’s incredible. They’re lucky to have you.”

He was happy. Genuinely happy. So she pasted on a smile to show her support. She wasn’t going to ruin his moment because she didn’t want to share him. That wasn’t fair to either of them. 

“I can still help here —“

“It’s alright, Fitz. This is what you wanted. I’m really happy for you. I bet you’ll get a job offer next year after graduation.”

“I hope so. This is a great opportunity.”

“I can just...just…”

Jemma turned away from him, her emotions finally becoming too much. The hurt, the anger, the hope -- it had all threatened to overwhelm her. But now that he had chosen to leave their lab -- to leave her -- the second he got a better offer. Well, maybe she was better off. He obviously wasn’t who she thought he was.

“Jemma?” Somehow he had gotten close and his hand gently brushed her shoulder. “I’m sorry --”

“You don’t have anything to apologize for. This was what you wanted.”

“What?” He sounded confused and she wanted to turn around, but she was too afraid of what she might do. “Oh, the engineering project?”

“Yes. Of course.” He was so close. Every cell in her body wanted to relax against him. But that wasn’t who they were. 

“That’s...a nice opportunity.”

Jemma snorted in response. 

“It isn’t?” he asked, sounding a little more confused than he should.

“Of course it is.”

“Yeah, well. I thought so. But when Mack — that’s the engineering team leader — asked me to transfer to their project for the next six weeks...I told him I couldn’t.”

She finally spun to face him and the hand that had been on her shoulder cupped her cheek.

“But...why?” She searched his eyes, looking for the answer she so desperately wanted.

“Because...because I thought I wanted to be here for science, to get a chance to prove myself-- but the best part of this summer has been being with you.”

“Really?” Her voice came out as nothing more than a whisper. “But after this morning I thought you hated me.”

“I could never hate you. In fact, I think I might be in love with you. That _was_ my dream, but I have a different dream now.” 

Silence stretched between them and his smile faltered. 

“It’s fine if you...if I — I didn’t mean —“

Jemma’s brain finally rebooted and she realized he’d interpreted her silence as rejection, rather than the moment she’d needed to process her wildly swinging thoughts. 

She put her hand over his where it still rested on her cheek and leaned towards him, pushing up on her toes so she could reach his lips. “I think I love you too.”

The first press of their lips was cautious, questioning. But after a few seconds his other arm went around her waist and she deepened the kiss, getting as close to him as she could. As close to him as she was each morning when she snuggled into his arms for those few precious moments before she slipped out of bed. 

His body was warm and his touch gentle and it made her want to experience everything with him. He was her match in every way. Except for one thing —

She pulled away to look up at him. 

“You don’t have to choose between me and your dreams. I would never ask you to give up on the chance to work on another project.”

“I know.” That cocky grin was back and it sent a shiver through her. “I just thought it sounded more romantic that way.”

She smiled up at him. “I really don’t mind.”

“Hmmm?”

Fitz pressed his forehead to hers.

“I don’t mind if you go work on an engineering project. I mean, I don’t think we’re going to finish the Night-Night Gun in the next few weeks anyway.”

“No, I mean it. I’m not leaving you. This is what brought us together and I’m not going to let anything change that. I asked Mack and Dr. Hall if I could just work with the engineering department a few hours a week. That should be enough time to make some contacts, but let me spend most of my time with you.”

“Fitz…” She didn't know what else to say, so she pressed her lips to his again. Normally she wouldn’t allow any sort of shenanigans in the lab, but this felt like something special. And it wasn’t like they could get fired. They didn’t even work there.

Jemma pulled him as close as she could, molding her body to his, and kissing him until a different type of hunger filled her.

“I guess we should go home,” she suggested, when they finally parted. “Grab some dinner?”

“I was actually wondering if you’d like to go out tonight. Maybe that Italian place on the corner?”

Jemma raised her eyebrows. “Like a date?”

“Yeah, like a date. If you want.”

She saw a flash of doubt cross his face and pressed a quick kiss to the corner of his mouth.

“I want.”

She felt happier than she had in a long time. His hand squeezed hers before he let her go so they could straighten up their lab. It was just a gentle touch, but she knew exactly what it meant. It was a promise. A promise of everything more that they could share.

* * *

_One Year Later_

“I really thought this thing would be working by now.” Fitz sounded frustrated and Jemma didn’t blame him. 

She sighed. “I think it’s the formula. No matter what I do I can’t get it to be effective at that dosage.”

“No, it’s not that. Or...it’s not just that. I mean, I’m glad we have other projects to work on, but doesn’t it feel like Dr. Weaver gave us all of the unsolvable projects to work on?”

He was right. When they’d both been hired by SHIELD Technologies it had been a dream come true. Based on their work the previous summer, they were hired to work on projects in a new process that combined R&D into a single step with the engineering occurring as the pure scientific research took place. It was thrilling work...but it also meant that they were trying to do something that had never been done before. And the trial project -- the Night-Night Gun -- hadn’t actually worked. She wasn’t sure if they hadn’t had enough time to perfect it...or if they just didn’t have the expertise.

“I actually think the drones will be our first successful project. Either that or the X-Ray pad.”

“That one needs a cooler name.”

Jemma smiled at him and rolled her eyes. “Since it’s payday, do you want to grab Chinese on the way home?”

She still got a little tingle of pleasure calling their apartment home. The tiny, not nearly as close to the office apartment that they had chosen to share. A year had made a big difference in their lives. But all the important things were the same. They still worked together. She still woke up in his arms every morning. And she still loved him -- even more than that day last summer when they’d first confessed their feelings. So, the rest was just details.

“Absolutely! Can we get an extra order of those eggrolls?”

“Yes, but only if you agree to go running with me in the morning.”

“Running? Are you sure we can’t get our cardio in some other way?”

Fitz gave her a look that made her toes curl. They were careful to keep their work separate from their personal lives, but occasionally Fitz looked at her a certain way or said something that made her remember time they had spent together, and it took all she had not to drag him into the storage closet. But this was her first job and she would remain professional if it killed her.

“Maybe, but you still have to go running with me.”

“Fine. But I’m not getting out of bed before 10 tomorrow. It’s the weekend.”

“Ugh, Fitz. What am I supposed to do in bed until 10 in the morning.”

“I’m sure we can think of something,” he said solemnly.

“Alright,” she agreed, knowing full well they’d spend all morning in bed and never actually make it outside to go running. “Let me finish cleaning up and I’ll be ready to go.”

When she’d finished tidying everything up, she looked up to find him staring at her. He did that from time to time and always looked embarrassed when she caught him.

“Everything alright, Fitz?”

“Yeah... I mean, yes. I just -- I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“I feel like maybe I should go thank Dr. Hall for making us lab partners. I’m not sure I ever would have gotten up the nerve to talk to you otherwise and I can’t imagine my life without you in it.”

Jemma thought for a second. “It certainly helped. But I’d like to think we are smart enough that we would have gotten together eventually.”

“Probably...though I’m not sure we’d have ended up here. Maybe I should go thank him anyway.”

She knew he was just teasing, but it had been a long week and she didn’t really want to wait any longer to get him alone.

“Later...we’re off the clock now. You’re all mine.”

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr @libbyweasley


End file.
